The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
by Dreamweaver74
Summary: What Dylan thought she lost may yet be found again....but will it be in time? DylanThin Man Ch.2 up!
1. Default Chapter

The Trick is to Keep Breathing  
  
By Dani Fleming  
  
Author's Note: This is my first CA fic. I've got a plot bunny that has decided to take me hostage at the moment, and she won't let me write anything else until I get this one out of my system. Any reviews/suggestions will of course be appreciated; do be kind.   
  
Disclaimer:The Angels, Charlie, and all others are the sole possession of the good people at Columbia Studios. The song snippet used is by Garbage, and I don't own them either (unfortunately), ect, ect.....(in other words, I've nary a cent to my name, don't sue!)  
  
Dylan stepped out of the shower, skin still warm from the steam. She pulled on her robe and wrapped a towel around her brilliant auburn tresses. Wiping the bathroom mirror of steam and fog, she appraised herself- normally lively green eyes now muted in sadness, her face a constant display of melancholy. It was pretty much the only expression she wore while alone.   
  
If the other angels ever saw her that way, they'd surely have her on suicide watch, for Dylan's sadness was deep and unabiding.   
  
In the months since That Night, she had become quite adept at hiding her true feelings behind a mask of upbeat optimism. When she was around her friends on a mission, she made sure to wear a brave face and keep her mind completely on the job. She thought she was doing a pretty good job at it.   
  
Wiping a tear from her face, she moved toward the living room, grabbing a cold beer from the fridge on the way. Sitting down on the sofa, she opened the alcoholic beverage and took a long gulp. It wasn't much, but it would serve to dull her senses for a while.   
  
She's not the kind of girl  
  
Who likes to tell the world  
  
About the way she feels about herself  
  
She takes a little time   
  
In making up her mind  
  
She doesn't like to fight against the tide  
  
Charlie put the girls on a month long vacation, since they had been working nonstop for almost a year. She made sure to hang out with Nat and Alex at least once a week so they wouldn't get suspicious (although with Pete and Jason now involved, her friends were very occupied). Now that she wasn't obligated to put on false emotion 24/7, that left her with plenty of time for introspection.   
  
Introspection on that night, the premiere of ME2. Being on the roof, fighting side by side as a unit with her friends. Then, splintering off to battle individual enemies; Nat against Madison, Alex against Shamus' men, and she toe to toe with Shamus himself. The intense fear as her ex held her over the side of the roof, intending to seal her fate with one toss.   
  
The sudden shock as he was pulled off of her and disbelief upon realizing who her rescuer was. The way he pulled her back to safety (or did he intend to kill her himself?), the ferocity of his stare as he pulled her even closer to him, teeth bared in a feral expression. As scared as she had been, even at that moment she could not help but note how unusual his eyes were, and on closer inspection, rather beautiful. 'No Dylan!', the rational part of herself reminded. 'He tried to kill you and your friends two years ago, who's to say he's not trying to finish the job?' But the other part of her, the lover of bad boys, had no choice but to relax, lost in the milk blue pool of his eyes. He notices the look that comes over her, the way she stares at him, as if hypnotized. Her lips part, and he feels the uncontrollable urge to lower his lips to hers.   
  
Her beautiful titan hair cascades down her back as he holds her, expression softening as he takes in the loveliness of her. The Thin Man wraps a strong arm around her waist, holding her tightly. Bringing his hand to her face in a soft caress, he kisses her so tenderly she never wouldv'e suspected he possessed such gentleness.   
  
The slight tingling at the nape of her neck as he roughly pulls out some of her golden tresses, a souvenir of their moment, along with the loud, almost orgasmic yell unleashed after. The sudden look of surprise as she reveals the soft midnight strands of his hair, bringing them up to her face to inhale, to see if in some way she can feel some of what he does. She rubs the silky locks across her cheek and by seeing herself reflected in his eyes, she finally gets it. She grasps an understanding of his attraction to her by way of her hair, all of it coming full circle in her attraction to him. She smiles as he looks at once shocked by her actions and relieved by her acceptance of him. He comes closer, holding his hand out to her, a slight, breathy whisper as he tries to say......Something.   
  
'Say anything', she thinks. 'What are you trying to tell me?' She leans forward trying to coax the Creepy (perhaps, but one hell of a kisser) Thin Man to speak.   
  
"Wh...wh.." The sharp intake of breath as the sword, his own sword pierces his heart, the momentum causing him to fall over the side of the roof onto the cold and dark ally below. Dylan stares in disbelief, screaming 'No' over and over again. How can this be happening? The cruel face of her ex appears, and in spite of her history with him, in spite of her fear, she has made up her mind: Shamus O' Grady will not live to see morning, even if it kills her........  
  
The third beer finished, Dylan breaks from her memories and tries to get up to head toward her room. The room starts to spin and she sinks back down on the sofa. She can't believe that only 3 months have passed; it seems like an eternity. Sighing, she lays down and cries herself into a dreamless sleep.   
  
Maybe she's not the only one  
  
She thinks 'Never trust anyone'  
  
Always someone who has to let her down  
  
Maybe she'll get what she wants next time around  
  
The trick is to keep breathing............................  
  
The ringing of the phone woke her in the morning. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Dyl! It's Nat. I tried to call last night, but the phone just rang and rang. I thought you were sick. I thought it would be fun if we had a girl's day out, you know, shopping lunch and more shopping."  
  
"Um...well, I was......"  
  
"Great! I'll pick you up in 30 minutes. We'll have a blast!" Dylan groaned. No-one should be that perky that early in the morning.  
  
Later at the restaurant, Dylan had the sneaky suspicion that she was being watched. Looking up, she flashed a nervous smile and shoved another french fry in her mouth. Nat continued to stare. "All right, I give! What is it, Natalie?" She tried not to sound so pissed off, but she was already peeved at having to spend the day out, when all she wanted to do was mope.  
  
"How long have you been pinning for him?"  
  
"Pinning? For who?"  
  
"Oh Dyl, for HIM, you know, Cree- um, Anthony. You may not think I noticed, but I did. And so has Alex. You haven't been the same since that night. At first Alex and I thought you were upset about Shamus. I mean, even though he was cruel, and a total ass. But sometimes you can't control what your heart feels. But when I saw you wearing" she pointed at the medallion that hadn't left Dylan's chest since the day after the premiere. "I knew who it really was. Gosh Dylan, why didn't you say something?"   
  
Dylan knew by the look of concern on her friend's face that she was almost scared for her. It touched her, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel incredibly angry.   
  
"What was I going to say? Hey guys, I've lost what may possibly have been the love of my life, who just happens to be a homicidal psychopath and by the way tried to kill us all last year- but I think I could've changed him?!"  
  
"Dyl, I know you're hurting. I hate seeing you this way....we just want to help." Nat looked like she was about to cry.  
  
"Look, I know you love me and you're only trying to help, but you're making me feel like I'm a lab specimen. I don't need kid gloves. I just need to be alone."   
  
Neither said a word as they headed back home. Natalie was worried about her friend, but couldn't figure out how to get through to her. Dylan was just pissed off.   
  
Nat pulled into the driveway. "Dyl, if you need anything, please call me, ok?"  
  
The upset angel got out of the car without a word.   
  
That night, Dylan e-mailed her two best friends.   
  
Dear Alex and Natalie,  
  
I'm so sorry for the way I acted today. I know you are just trying to help me through this, and I love both of you for that. You two are the sisters I was never lucky enough to have. But I realize that in order to get over my feelings, I need some space. I don't want either of you to feel like I don't appreciate all you do, but this is something I have to work through on my own. I'm going away for a while. I'm not sure where it will be or when I'll be back, but I know if I don't try to take control of this now, I might not make it. I'll keep in touch.   
  
Love your sister,  
  
Dylan.  
  
She sent off the mail and started packing. She was determined not to think of anything, especially Him, while she did it. She took a quick shower and put on some clean clothes. The medallion got caught in her turtleneck; she decided to remove and store it, for now. She needed to distance herself from it all The thought of getting away was making her feel better already. She made sure all the lights were turned off and doors locked. Dylan climbed into her car and took one last look at her apartment. She had no clue where she was going, but decided to head for the coast. She pulled away, never noticing the lone figure watching. Waiting.  
  
He waited until she was merely a pinprick of light on the road ahead. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the lock of red hair he treasured. He brought it up to his face, rubbing gently against his check. A soft purr escaped his lips. He caught himself and breaking from his reverie, mounted his bike.   
  
He sped through the night, his thoughts returning to that night 3 months ago. He glanced in the side mirror and allowed a slight grin. For the injuries he'd sustained, he still looked pretty good. His dark hair having now grown out of the mohawk, it was tied into a short ponytail 'I wonder if she'll recognize me still', he mused.   
  
"Ah, no matter. I noe where ya goin, and soon we'll be together again, whether ya want it or not. Aye, I'll have ya yet Helen." 


	2. Anthony

The Trick Is To Keep Breathing Ch. 2  
  
Authors Note: Happy Holidays to everyone! I'd like to take this time to thank those who reviewed last time, you don't know how happy your kind words made me! :) Sorry this took a while to post- school, work and studying for the MCAT make it hard to find extra time to write. But it's sooo relaxing when I can! :) I hope everyone enjoys part two, and please do take the time to review when you are done. It helps more than you know!   
  
Trinity22-Thank you for the complement!  
  
Lara-Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)  
  
Irene-Yes, our boy Seamus is back, but he isn't quite the same. Don't worry, he's still a little rotter. I hope our couple will get together too. This story is just kind of evolving as it goes, so I have no idea how it's going to end up. I'll try to keep the muses from making it too sad though!  
  
Kestra-Thanks for your kind words, and I really hope you return to writing.  
  
Disclaimer:The Angels, Charlie, and all others are the sole possession of the good people at Columbia Studios. The song snippet used is by Garbage, and I don't own them either (unfortunately), ect, ect.....(in other words, I've nary a cent to my name, don't sue!)  
  
Thursday, November 10th 5:30 p.m.  
  
Paul Winters had seen some pretty odd sights in his 30 years at the gas station. The one unfolding before him had to take the cake. A tall, rather gaunt-looking man, stepping out of a 911. The man had a feral look in his eyes but looked haunted too. The look of someone who'd lost something dear to him, if anything could be dear to a man like that.   
  
He started to fill his tank, at the same time lighting a cigarette. Winter's first reflex was to hurry out there before the creepy man blew his business to kingdom come. Before the thought was even completely formed, the tall man turned and looked right at him.......how the hell can that be? The look in his eyes was almost otherworldly. The aged owner was speechless.   
  
His attention back to his car, Anthony finished and got in. As he sped away, Winters continued to watch in disbelief. While he probably will tell his family about the rather odd-looking man (probably even the part where he seemed to know what he was thinking), he knows he won't dare reveal what he also saw when he looked right at him. He may just tell himself it was a trick of the light, or something. For how in the world could a human being have blood red eyes?   
  
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It was getting harder to remember even the immediate past and Anthony had only a lock of red hair to keep him sane. He pulled over and reached inside his jacket pocket, expecting to find his salvation. The only thing he pulled out was a business card with an address scrolled on the back and a message- Meet me here at 7pm in two days. Come alone. I have something you've been looking for. He recognized the script but it was immpossible-the man had died, he was certain of it! He drove faster toward the angel's apartment. If the note was to be believed, then he didn't have much time.   
  
As Anthony sped on the road, he thought back to 3 months ago...saving his angel, the kiss, the fall from the roof. The pain from his sword was terrible enough, but seeing Seamus' decent and realizing that he had neither the time or even the strength to move out of the way was far worse. The breath was literally forced from his already broken body when the man made his mark. His last thought was one of triumph as the sword sticking out of his chest was shoved into Seamus' body. At least I won't have to worry about him, he thought, watching the life force leave his body. Anthony tried once more to move and could not. He sighed, then had a worried thought; 'I hope this isn't the time I die'......  
  
The next 24 hours were a murky puzzle; vague shadows of movement, the distant voices of his ancestors in prayer, slowly meticulously bringing him back to life. Again.  
  
Many times before this had happened- gunshot, explosion, fire, once a particularly nasty near-decapitation- each time he could not have cared less if he lived or died. He always performed a kind of sick combination of both. This time, however was very different. This time it mattered very much to him, for his was not the only life to be concerned with. This time he had someone to live for.   
  
At least he hoped he did. Hope, a strange emotion to come from him. Most of these new experiences and feelings he was getting were almost too much to deal with. So he committed himself to push most of them down, for now. They would not be much help to him until he got to her and ensured her safety. That was his most important priority. A mission to be completed, a list of tasks to be handled, one by one. This he could handle. It was the way his mind had always worked, before her.   
  
This is how he would have to tackle things for now.   
  
He could do this, for he had no other choice.   
  
He considered the way she looked at him on the rooftop. The way she mimicked his hair-pulling habits. The way she kissed him back with passion and something else. Love, or at least the closest thing to love he'd experienced in his lifetime. He thought about the way she screamed as he fell to his obvious demise. Anthony knew for sure that he hadn't merely imagined those things. His angel, the one named Dylan, felt for him, and once they'd kissed, he felt it too. The exchange of hearts and minds. This was the most rudimentary form of the Giving, but no less important. He was not sure how it felt to her, though he had an idea.   
  
She would dream of him nightly, and feel as though he was right there with her. She would crave him until her heart would not be able to bear the loss of him. She probably grieved for him, and for that he felt deeply remorseful. Anthony knew what he felt for her, even though there was still a part of him that wasn't quite ready to admit it yet. Love was yet another emotion he wasn't ready to face.   
  
He felt so connected to Dylan that he could almost feel the pain that she did. From the legends he'd heard as a young boy, he knew that one day he would meet someone and be linked with them. He wasn't prepared for the rush and depth of feelings that would result, however. He could not help who he was linked with, fate was in charge of that. All he could do was to accept and welcome whatever happened when it happened. The only real drawback was that instead of not having to give a damn about anything or anyone, he now had a very big reason to care. Not only for his angel, but also himself. After all, how could he save her if he was dead? He shook his head, having a hard getting used to the notion of it all.   
  
The very things that made him afraid also made him strangely happy; he had someone to care for, to love, to protect. She was the salve on his very soul. In her, he would find forgiveness for the wrongs he'd done. There were so many lives he'd taken, he hoped that she would forgive him for those. Even though he'd only kept what money he needed to sustain himself and his home and gave the rest to the orphanage, he still felt guilty about that money's source.   
  
In time he would have to face those issues as well, but for now he just had to get to her. He opened the note, half expecting to see that the writing had changed somehow. Surely it wasn't that bastard Seams' handwriting, but upon reading it again, he knew that was the only person that could've penned it. That would explain what happened to her hair.   
  
He remembered lying on the ground in great pain, Seams' weight making it ten times worse. He reached into his pocket, trying to grab hold of the silky locks that would make him feel at least a little better. He remembered finding what he was looking for and promptly his breathing returned to normal(at least as normal as could be considering his severe injuries), allowing him to start the regeneration process. What he hadn't realized at the time was that because the sword that pierced him had also done the same to Dylan's ex, some of his blood had most likely merged with his own, giving Seamus a troubling second chance.   
  
What Seamus didn't realize was that he only had mere days to live, but those days would be enough for him to take Dylan from Anthony's life forever. He now possessed some of Anthony's skills, slightly watered-down, but still very potent. He to a certain extent would even be able to know how Anthony thought. Most worrisome to the thin man was the fact that Seamus would also have his strong feelings for her, but while Anthony's were nothing but love, Seamus's were of a different variety.   
  
This was not good. Not at all.  
  
If what he suspected happened actually did, then his beautiful angel was in imminent danger. He floored the 911, praying that he wasn't too late......... 


End file.
